Rajasthan Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara has been appointed as a member of a Transformation Committee responsible for overseeing Sri Lanka cricket. The Committee has nine members, most of whom are non-cricketers. Roshan Mahanama and Sidath Wettimuny are the only cricketers apart from Kumar Sangakkara.

Former MP and opposition politician Eran Wickramaratne has been appointed president. The Committee was appointed after the Sri Lankan government removed the previous SLC officials on Wednesday. The Committee only has one woman among its nine members.

Kumar Sangakkara, a person of impeccable integrity and experience: Wickramaratne

Eran Wickramaratne read an official statement setting out the Committee’s objectives. “I am privileged to lead a nine-member committee made up of people with impeccable integrity and experience.”

Wickramaratne is understood to have abandoned his political positions and joined the Committee as a corporate figure.

The Transformation Committee prepares to reform governance

Wickramaratne then outlined the Committee’s top priorities in his statement. “Our immediate priority is a complete overhaul of the governance framework at SLC,” he said. “The cornerstone of this effort will be the implementation of the new constitution, ensuring that it serves as a solid and modern foundation for the sport.”

The SLC’s old constitution has been criticized for being counterproductive and giving too much power to non-cricketing institutions. There are also two lawyers on the Committee, suggesting that the Committee could rewrite the SLC Constitution.

Wickramaratne then said that the second priority is excellent performances on the field. We will focus on establishing the structures, world-class facilities and incentive models necessary to empower our national teams. “Our aim is to enable our players to consistently deliver world-class performances and lift Sri Lanka back to the top level of the international rankings.”

The ICC has not yet reacted

The International Cricket Council normally frowns upon government interference in board affairs but has yet to react to the issue.

In 2023, the ICC suspended the SLC at the request of then board president Shammi Silva. Silva had alleged that the country’s sports minister was interfering in board affairs. Sri Lanka also lost the hosting rights to the 2024 U-19 World Cup.

In 2015, the Sri Lankan government suspended the board’s leadership and created an interim committee. At that time, the ICC reduced Sri Lanka to an observer member and withheld its funds.

Wickramaratne went on to say that his Committee was willing to comply with any directives the ICC gave them.

“[The Committee is] “We are committed to full compliance with International Cricket Council regulations while embedding transparency, anti-corruption and professionalism into the organization’s DNA,” he said.

Pressure on Shammi Silva to leave

In February-March this year, Sri Lanka failed to reach the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup, which it co-hosted.

There followed public pressure on ousted SLC president Shammi Silva to leave his post. People criticized the systemic imbalance in the SLC as Silva won three consecutive terms as president despite Sri Lanka being inconsistent on the ground.

Earlier this month, Sri Lanka appointed renowned coach Gary Kirsten as their head coach in a bid to improve their results on the field. The Transformation Committee and new head coach Kirsten will first take charge of the ODI series in the West Indies.

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